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David Luiz
'David Luiz Moreira Marinho '(born 22 April 1987) is a Brazilian international footballer who played as a centre-back for Chelsea F.C. from 2011 to 2014. Chelsea career On 31 January 2011, Luiz completed a move to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, which Benfica reported to be €25 million, on a five and a half year contract After signing for Chelsea, he outlined his determination to nail down a regular place in the side, and took the previously unclaimed number 4 shirt, last worn by Claude Makelele. He won plenty of plaudits for his early showings although conceded a late penalty on his first start, saved by Petr Cech, and went on to win the man of the match award. Ineligible for the Champions League, he retained his place in the Premier League side until a goal conceded in the opening seconds at Old Trafford torpedoed Chelsea's title chances and Carlo Ancelotti left the Brazilian out of the remaining games. He had earlier scored against United at Stamford Bridge, and headed home against Manchester City in the Premier League to keep Chelsea's title hopes alive. A knee injury following international duty meant he started the 2011-12 season out of the side but he returned in mid-September and duly found the scoresheet again, this time curling home from the edge of the area against Bayer Leverkusen on his Champions League debut. After an up and down first half of the campaign, he slowly settled down and adjusted to the English game, making over 30 appearances alongside various centre-back partners as injuries to others have taken their toll. David started 15 consecutive games over the Christmas and new year period and, as Easter approaches, has even started to win round some of his harshest media critics with an unusual blend of no-nonsense defending and samba style. His penchant for goalscoring hasn't lessened either, as home league strikes against United and Bolton testify. The Brazilian defender was superb in the 4-1 Champions League win against Napoli, but after injuring himself in the FA Cup semi-final win against Tottenham, he missed a number of crucial matches as the season drew to a close, including the FA Cup Final against Liverpool. However, after an intense rehabilitation programme, Luiz was deemed fit to play against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final, where he completed the full 120 minutes and scored our second penalty in the shoot-out. Luiz underlined his commitment to the club by signing a new five-year contract minutes after the final whistle had sounded in the 1-0 win over Stoke City. He scored his first goal of the season with a stunning free-kick in the 4-0 Champions League win against FC Nordsjaelland, while also netting from the penalty spot in the 5-4 Capital One Cup win against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. In April, David Luiz netted a contender for goal of the season with a stunning strike in the 3-0 win at Fulham, following it up a week later with a last-gasp winner in the Europa League semi-final against Basel. On 13 June 2014, after falling out of favour with Jose Mourinho, Luiz signed for PSG for a fee of £50,000,000, a record for a defender. Honours Chelsea *FA Cup: 1 (2012) *Champions League: 1 (2012) *Europa League: 1 (2013) Individual *Premier League Player of the Month: 1 (March 2011) *PFA Fan's Player of the Month: 1 (March 2011) *FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 1 (2012) Stats Luiz Luiz